Obama's A Lib! (Shhhh...)

Hold the front page - Barack Obama is a liberal.

My cocktail party tirade about Obama includes the point that he takes a lot of undue credit for his opposition to the Iraq war in 2002 - roughly 90% of the Congressional Black Caucus also opposed the war resolution, so Obama was really nothing other than a mainstream urban black pol.  Surprise!

Comments

[Other Tom]

I've been following the campaign to a certain extent--except that I don't watch the debates, only the lowlights--but other than his vote against the AUMF, I can't think of a single thing he has done, and have no idea what his principles are. He seems a very bright and personable young fellow, but that's about all I can discern.

[MayBee]

What danger was there for a relatively unknown state politician to be anti-war? It's not like his opinion counted for anything.
Had the war gone quickly and well, we simply never would have heard that talking point from Obama again.

Obama is going to thrive due to the ABH vote. (remember ABB?)

[Rick Ballard]

"have no idea what his principles are"

He's a liberal, OT. His principles run the entire gamut from socialist to fascist - that's a distance of 2.897645 microns. They are also flexible, permeable, transparent, obscure, minuscule and universal.

Don't forget that Hussein Il Jong is the supreme champion of ________ (fill in whatever suits your fancy) and that by voting for him ________ will be achieved within ________ days of his inauguaration.

IOW - he's an empty chalice with the porosity of a colander.

[Other Tom]

I had forgotten that at the time of the AUMF vote he was not yet in the Senate.

[Jane]

Obama's main credential is that he talks pretty. It was hard not to be moved by his speech at the democrat convention in 2004.

I'm not sure orating skill trumps national security in these post 9-11 days, but time will tell.

[vinman_from_wikistan.com]

Bragging about not condoning the initial military action in Iraq isn't exactly a winning strategy for a man desirous of inheriting the world's most pressing national security problems.

[Louie]

Obama or Huckabee will be a remake of the Carter years.

[Louie]

Obama or Huckabee will be a remake of the Carter years.

[Other Tom]

"Obama's main credential is that he talks pretty. It was hard not to be moved by his speech at the democrat convention in 2004."

Why am I reminded of the perpetual Democrat Hamlet, the poor stupe Mario Cuomo? One speech that the San Francisco Democrats swooned over, and every four years thereafter they wondered, "will Mario come save us now?" Of course, Mario knew as well as most of us that he was very far from up to the task.

The bumptious William Jennings Bryan was launched into the stratosphere by the "Cross of Gold" speech, which proved to be his high water mark. He died a defeated man and an object of well-deserved ridicule.

[Foo Bar]

Obama was really nothing other than a mainstream urban black pol.

I guess the fact that he was a young up-and-comer with crossover, mainstream appeal and possible plans for statewide office (in a state with a Republican governor and one Republican senator at the time) didn't make a difference. After all, Harold Ford voted against the invasion. Wait, let me double-check that.

Obama had already tried and failed to win Bobby Rush's seat in 2000, so "lefty congressman representing inner-city Chicago" was pretty much not an option for him as a next move in the near future.